


Moments You Can't Live Without

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Series: Not Alone [1]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-03
Updated: 2010-11-05
Packaged: 2017-10-13 01:21:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You say enough for me to know you tried<br/>But everything you're feeling is stuck inside<br/>Open up your heart and set us free...<br/>Did you see how good we'd be<br/>When you open up to me?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Can't You Recover Your Heart And Let It Go?

**Author's Note:**

> For the inception_kink prompt : [Arthur is in love with Eames, but Eames just wants a sexual relationship. When Arthur realizes Eames has fallen for Ari, he woos her and wins her as a trump card to keep Eames.](http://community.livejournal.com/inception_kink/11005.html?thread=22536701#t22536701)
> 
> Title, chapter titles and summary from Gianlucca Motta's "Not Alone."

Arthur slammed Eames up against the wall, kissing him with reckless abandon. _You can't leave me,_ he thought furiously, hoping Eames could understand how he felt through the kiss. Eames slid his hands down Arthur's chest, yanking his shirt out of his trousers. It was a needy, passionate kiss, all lips and teeth and tongue and stuttering breaths in each others' mouths. Clothes flew everywhere, and Arthur grasped Eames' half erect cock in his fist and pumped him hard. Eames groaned into his mouth, fingers digging into Arthur's slim hips. He exploded over Arthur's fist, sagging against him after a moment.

"Fuck, darling. I should threaten to leave more often."

Arthur's hand tightened fractionally. "That's not even funny, Eames."

He disentangled himself from Arthur and went to go wash up in the bathroom of Arthur's flat. "Arthur, you keep thinking this _thing_ is permanent."

Heart skipping several beats, Arthur merely licked his hand clean. "Why can't it?" he asked simply, keeping his voice even. He could be nonchalant. He didn't have to look as though his chest was being shredded with razorblades.

Eames merely smiled at Arthur as he dressed again. "Darling, it's just fucking. Good fucking, don't get me wrong, but that's it." He gave Arthur a chaste kiss, not liking the taste of himself on Arthur's lips. "I'm flattered, really, but that's it."

"Is there someone else?" Arthur asked quietly. He could back off if there was. Maybe.

Oh, who was he kidding? He'd more likely shoot the bastard between the eyes and get rid of the competition.

"You're cute when you're jealous," Eames remarked, shrugging on his jacket. He simply grinned wider at Arthur's black look. "What? You are."

"Who is he?"

"Who said it's a he?" Eames shot back insouciantly, then left the flat.

Arthur barely suppressed the urge to hit the wall with a clenched fist.

***

The Parisian warehouse was a convenient place to meet. Ariadne was in her last semester of graduate school, no one had guessed at their identities in the Fischer job, and there were plenty of referrals to work with. Arthur liked Ariadne well enough. She had a quick mind and was fast enough on her feet to try to take on more responsibilities. She was a great friend, and they liked similar kinds of movies. She had a great sense of humor, which at times dovetailed really well with his own sarcastic blend of statements. They happened to be laughing together over some random comment he made as Eames walked into the warehouse. Eames' eyes were on Ariadne, and he nearly walked into a desk.

Arthur took note, but didn't say anything right away. That wasn't his style.

Ariadne took no real notice of Eames, seeing him as a good friend as well. She was so work oriented that it never seemed to occur to her to question why Eames' eyes seemed to linger on her, why he always agreed with what she suggested for the levels. She was genuinely pleased to be a helpful member of the team, that her relative inexperience didn't hold anyone back on the job. Designing for the dreamscape made her happy, and she lit up from within every time she worked on a new set of sketches.

Arthur could see why Eames was fascinated, but it still stung. Why wasn't he good enough for Eames? Why wasn't he just as worthy of love as Ariadne?

She looked at him sideways sometimes, just a little bit shy. It almost resembled how Eames looked at her, even if she couldn't see it.

Feeling like a complete asshole for stringing her along, Arthur decided to give that a test. "Want to go to dinner sometime, Ariadne?" he asked in a quiet voice after Eames left the warehouse. "Anyplace you want to go."

She lit up, looking the same way she did when working on one of her models. "Yes! I'd love to."

He stretched his lips into a smile for her benefit, his chest frozen solid. He hugged her back and promised to pick her up the following night at seven thirty, feeling numb all the while. Love wasn't fair at all. He loved Eames, who loved Ariadne, who might love him. God, what a mess. If he did nothing, no one would be happy.

If Arthur had his way, however, perhaps all three of them could get what they wanted.

***

"Fuck," Arthur groaned, his hands on Ariadne's hips with a tight, punishing grip. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, the scent of her all around him. "God, this feels so good," he groaned. He slammed into her hard, making her cry out in ecstasy. She was tight around him, feeling so goddamn good it almost didn't matter that she wasn't Eames and he didn't love her the way she thought he did. Ariadne moaned as he moved over her, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, one hand at his back and the other at the nape of his neck. "I'm close," he groaned, biting his lip to keep from growling.

Ariadne raked her nails down his back and made a soft mewling sound. "Me, too," she panted. "A little more..."

Ariadne came first, fluttering around his sheathed cock. Her head fell back against the pillow as she cried out, arching into him. A few more thrusts had Arthur following her, and he sagged on top of her as he tried to catch his breath. "Wow," she said, running her fingers across his face, a smile stretching her lips. She was beautiful like that, almost ethereal. Arthur felt so guilty for what he was doing, but couldn't quite care enough to stop himself. Everyone would be happy in the end. He had to remember that.

"Yeah. That was pretty amazing," he said, giving her a genuine smile. He hadn't expected to enjoy that as much as he did.

She followed him to the bathroom as he cleaned up and disposed of the condom, wrapping her arms around his middle and pressing her smiling face against his back. "Do you have to go anywhere tonight?" she asked softly.

He could try to find Eames. He could try to push him down and fuck his mouth and make him realize Arthur loved him to distraction. He could try to make Eames see that he didn't need anyone else in his life, just Arthur. It was his fault things had to happen this way. If Eames had just loved him back, Arthur wouldn't have to go this route.

Arthur turned around and wrapped his arms around Ariadne, looking down into her smiling face. "I don't have anywhere else I have to be," he said honestly.

Ariadne held him tightly, pleased with that response. "Come back to bed," she murmured.

Feeling like a fraud, he did just that.

***

Ariadne had a huge grin on her face and was humming along with the radio as she tried recreating her sketch on the CAD program she favored. It didn't even seem to bother her when the program kept cropping up with errors at the impossible hallways she kept trying to make. Eames lofted an eyebrow in her direction. "You seem... chipper, if I may say so."

"Yes, you may," she said with a laugh, only half turning around. "If I'm annoying you, just let me know."

"Not in the least, love," he replied with a rueful shake of his head. "It's good to see."

"Thanks." She turned back to her computer. "I think I'll stick with hand drawings for the dream mazes for now. At least until I can figure a way to turn off all these stupid error messages. I _know_ this hallway shouldn't be here, but the computer thinks I'm an idiot."

"Well, we all know how brilliant you are." He saw Arthur enter the warehouse, bag slung over his shoulder. "Think you'll have a preliminary sketch soon?"

"Oh, sure. Arthur and I talked about what we'll need to do last night. I should be able to have the entire layout done by noon, and then refine it after we take a look."

Eames stilled slightly, and looked from the back of Ariadne's head to Arthur. As if feeling the weight of Eames' gaze on him, Arthur looked up. "You and Arthur talked it over?"

"We've been doing that a lot," Ariadne said, half turning in her chair. "Not as something to leave you out or anything, but while we're talking about other things..." She saw Arthur in the next room and her smile softened a fraction, the kind of softness that indicated the presence of a dearly loved companion. "But yeah, we talk about stuff."

Eames thought he was going to be ill. He turned to look at Arthur, who appeared nonchalant. "Do you, now? And for how long has this been going on?"

Looking like a chastised child, Ariadne ducked her head. "It's not like that, Eames."

"It's not like what?" he asked, managing to keep the thread of desperation from his voice.

She looked up, for a moment seeming more like a shy teenager than an accomplished architecture student. "I like him a lot, Eames. Not because of the job or anything like that. I like being around him. I like being with him. Things are more fun with him around, you know?"

"That stick in the mud?" Eames choked, though he knew better than that. It was his fall back response, the screen he hid behind. Of all people, he knew full well what Arthur was capable of once he let go of his emotions.

Ariadne playfully tossed a pencil at him. "Be nice, Eames."

"I'm always nice."

Ariadne laughed, her face lighting up. "Yeah, I'll bet. Now, shoo. I've got more drawing to do if we're going to go over the layout this afternoon."

Effectively dismissed, Eames left her little workspace and saw Arthur looking at him with a smug smile. "What game are you playing, Arthur?" he hissed, approaching Arthur.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Arthur lied. He brushed an invisible speck of lint off of his jacket sleeve. "What game do you think I'm playing?"

"I tell you we're just fucking and you go fuck Ariadne?"

Arthur gave Eames his most impassive expression. "I'm not fucking her, Eames. We're _in a relationship."_

Eames looked as though Arthur punched him in the gut. "What?"

"You mooned over her for so long, and you never noticed a damn thing. All I had to do was ask her to dinner."

"What? When?"

"Does it matter?"

Eames stared at Arthur's cold expression, taking in the flat tones of his voice. "Is this to get back at me? Is that what this is? God, that's cold."

"Is it?" Arthur idly scratched behind his ear, appearing nonchalant. "The two of you are just coworkers, after all. She doesn't mean anything to you, does she?" Arthur gave him a level gaze. "She's my girlfriend now, Eames. Deal with it."

"Do you even love her?" Eames asked, just the barest hint of desperation and anguish in his tone. Arthur could only hear it because he knew Eames so well.

"Of course I love her. Maybe someday I'll be in love with her, too," he replied honestly, shrugging. "But that's not the point, is it?"

Eames ground his teeth together. "Give me one reason not to fucking kill you."

"We could invite you over, you know," Arthur continued in an even tone. "She's fantastic in bed," he said, giving Eames a thin smile. "She almost makes me forget all about you."

"You're a bastard," Eames said, lips curling in disgust.

"Maybe. But Ariadne's in my bed at night, isn't she?"

Without thinking, Eames' hand flew out to meet Arthur's jaw. He fell backward over the table he had been leaning against, and Eames merely stood over him, clenched fists at his sides. Ariadne stood in the doorway of her office space and squeaked at the sight of them. "What happened?"

"Nothing that can't be resolved," Arthur replied confidently from the floor, rubbing at his jaw. "Right, Mr. Eames?"

 _Fuck you,_ Eames thought acidly, glaring at Arthur. "I'll be back to look at those drawings after lunch." He could feel Ariadne's questioning eyes on him, and his gut clenched. Arthur was using her, and she didn't deserve that. She thought she was in a stable relationship with someone she actually loved.

God, what a joke this all was.

***

"You know, there are better ways of resolving arguments than hurling insults and punches at each other," Ariadne remarked, pressing a dish towel full of ice cubes against Arthur's jaw. He hissed in pain and she winced. "Sorry."

"He's jealous, that's all," Arthur remarked as best he could with the ice against his sore jaw. "You know, that we're so happy."

She smiled gently at him. "He'll find someone eventually, I'm sure."

Arthur held one of her hands in his, thumb tracing small circles against the back of her hand. "What if we invited him with us? Have him be part of what we have?"

"Arthur..."

"Hear me out," he said hastily, taking the towel away from his face. "We're all friends, right? And I know he cares a lot about you. It wouldn't be something cheap or tawdry. It could be something special, something we all share."

Ariadne sighed. "This between us is still kinda new..."

"I wouldn't ask you this if I didn't trust it," Arthur replied gently.

"You do?" she blurted in spite of herself. She gave him a little goofy grin, her head ducking slightly in embarrassment. "I mean, I _hoped,_ but I didn't want to presume..."

"Presume away," Arthur told her with a pained grin. This was going to work. He could tell she was considering the three of them together, and everything was going to work out in the end. She cupped his face in her tiny hands and laid a gentle kiss on his lips. "Hell, you could presume right now."

"But the drawings..." she protested feebly.

"Can wait a little while. I trust you."

She kissed him gently, mindful of the punch to his jaw. Arthur let his fingers skate over the skin of her throat before he unknotted the scarf she was wearing. "Arthur..."

"What?"

"Yusuf's right next door in his lab..."

"If he didn't hear me fall over a table, I think we'll be okay. You know how he gets when he's on a roll. He could be in there for hours and not come up for air," Arthur said with a grin as he started on the buttons of her cardigan. "As much as I love how you sound, you'll just have to be quiet."

Flushing bright pink, Ariadne bit her lip as she smiled at him. She let Arthur lift her up to the desk after kicking off her jeans. He stood between her spread legs, hands stroking the sensitive skin. "I don't have anything..."

Arthur dug into his wallet for a condom. "I came prepared."

"Were you a boy scout in a past life or something?" Ariadne laughed, unbuckling his belt.

"Something like that," Arthur allowed, leaning down to kiss her as she shoved everything down from his waist. Her hands stroked him as his tongue slid across hers, and he gave a soft groan. He rolled the condom onto himself and then plunged into her, making her gasp. "Remember... Be quiet..."

She did a great job biting her lip and only gasping, muffling her cries against his chest when she couldn't hold it in. She was vaguely aware of the door to the warehouse opening, but she was close, hands pulling Arthur in for deeper strokes, and she came just as she heard Cobb's incredulous "What in fucking hell?!"

Ariadne buried her face in Arthur's chest, grateful that all Cobb could see of her were her legs from the knees down. God, this was embarrassing. Arthur, however, nonchalantly looked over his shoulder. "Oh. You're back early. The rough sketches should be done this afternoon," he said, as if he wasn't just caught having sex with Ariadne in the middle of the warehouse.

Cobb sputtered, gesturing vaguely in their direction. "What the hell is this, Arthur? We're on a timetable, here!"

"Of course we are," Arthur said with an agreeable nod. "Just taking a break before getting back to work."

Ariadne wanted to giggle helplessly. This would have been fabulously funny if it happened to someone else. She sneaked a peek at Cobb's livid face and had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the way he was nearly turning purple.

"Goddammit, Arthur! We can't afford you fucking around like this. Do your goddamn job for once. And sanitize that desk before we use it!"

They managed to wait until Cobb stormed off into another office area to contact their current employer. Ariadne giggled first, a helpless release of nerves. "That was awful."

Arthur snorted. "Maybe he's just jealous." He stroked her face and watched her lean into his touch. There was no point in trying to get himself off at this point. "Just keep that thought in mind for later, okay?" He ran his fingers across the curve of her cheek. "Go finish those mazes while I clean up. This will all blow over, I promise. I'll take care of everything," he said with a confident smile. He watched her collect herself and go into her drafting space.

He had plans, and Cobb's hissy fit wouldn't interfere with them.

***

Ariadne looked at Arthur almost uncertainly. "I don't know..."

"What is it specifically that bothers you about this idea?"

She took a deep breath. "I like him as a friend, Arthur. What if this screws that up? How are we supposed to work together if it's all awkward between us?"

"Is it awkward between us now, working together and sleeping together?"

"No."

"It should be the same thing," Arthur told her reasonably. "I can call him, have him come here, where you're comfortable." He took in her reluctant expression and grasped her hands tightly in his. "I'm not going to push you if it's something you really don't want to do. But I think it could work."

Ariadne blew out a breath. "How? I mean... Okay, let's say we do this. How would it even physically _work?"_ She stopped and smiled at him ruefully. "And I probably sound so naive right now..."

Arthur chuckled and pulled her into his embrace. "Oh, Ariadne... We'll figure something out. I'm sure we can make it work."

She looked up, cradling his face in one hand. "I wouldn't want to lose you, Arthur."

"I don't think you ever could," Arthur murmured, then claimed her mouth in a kiss.

***

As nervous as Ariadne felt, even after two weeks of being sure she wanted to do this, she was gratified to see some signs of nervousness in Eames. He was twitchy, swinging his hands around and playing with his pocket watch. He otherwise looked cool and collected, but she knew him well enough by now to see that he was just as scared of screwing this up as she was.

"God, this feels awkward," Ariadne remarked, feeling her cheeks turn a little pink. The three of them were sitting in the living room of her apartment, just staring at each other. Whatever she had thought this would be, awkward silence hadn't figured in at all.

"So it's not just me, then," Eames told her with a smile. He could feel Arthur's eyes on him, but all he cared about was what Ariadne thought of him. "Look, love, it's okay if you don't want to go through with this. I care about you too much to want to screw that up," he admitted. He almost wanted to kick himself when Ariadne's eyes widened.

"You do?"

"We're great friends," Eames made himself say. "I wouldn't want to ruin that for anything. Even if the sex would probably be fantastic."

She laughed, just as he hoped she would, and she cautiously came closer to sit next to him. "Um... So how would this work?" she asked, almost ducking her head shyly. "I mean..."

Eames gently ran a finger along the curve of her cheek. "Slowly, I suppose. Get used to the idea, rather than diving right in."

"Maybe diving right in might not be a bad idea," Ariadne admitted, eyes flicking between Eames and Arthur. "Less chance to feel nervous."

"I'm right here," Arthur said softly, encouragingly. "It's all right."

Taking a deep breath, Ariadne nodded at Eames. "Okay, then."

He grasped her face gently between his two hands and kissed her on the mouth, soft and slow, giving her time to get used to him. Ariadne grasped his shirt in her fists, her mouth slowly opening beneath his. Eames immediately deepened the kiss, his hands moving down from her face to rest on her shoulders. One moved to her back, holding her against him, and the other slid down to the small of her back. She pulled back abruptly, trembling, not quite able to meet his eyes. "Ariadne?"

"Just give me a minute..."

Arthur moved to kneel down next to her. "It's all right if you're nervous. It's a big step, right?"

She looked at him with large eyes, biting her lip. She didn't know if she was more afraid of losing him or of liking this too much. She watched as he unbuttoned her blouse slowly, fingers brushing against her skin and making her breath quicken. "Arthur..."

"I'm right here. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise."

"Cross my heart, Ariadne," Eames promised, even raising his right hand. She smiled, still somewhat nervous, but faced him again. "Slower? Or faster?"

"Faster," she blurted, a flush rising on her cheeks. "I don't want to think about this at all, or I'll start to feel weird again."

"Whatever you say," Eames promised solemnly. He leaned forward and kissed her, mouth hot and open over hers, tongue sliding between the lips that parted in surprise. He slid his hands along her torso, feeling her shiver, then moved to palm a breast through her bra. Ariadne gasped, twitching slightly, but crashed into Arthur. He had moved to sit behind her, overseeing everything, and he gently pushed her back toward Eames, his hands sliding along her bared back.

Eames reached inside her bra to caress her breast, thumb gliding over her nipple. Ariadne gasped, fingers moving restlessly across Eames' chest. She could feel herself start to grow wet, and she felt vaguely guilty that someone other than Arthur could make her feel this way. Arthur unhooked her bra, his lips pressed against the curve of her shoulder as he eased it off of her. Bared before Eames, he bent his head down to take a breast into his mouth. Ariadne groaned and clutched his shoulders, her fingers threaded through his hair. Eames swirled his tongue across her nipple, and reached down to pull her skirt up over her thighs. She had worn thigh high stockings beneath a skirt over dinner, and she gasped as his fingers ran along the length of the stocking and then touched bare skin. She wanted to say it was the wine that was making her do this, but she wasn't drunk. God help her, she actually wanted this now.

He moved so that his head was between her thighs. He slowly explored the folds with his tongue, his fingertips stroking the backs of her thighs gently. Arthur held her, his fingers stroking her breasts and playing around with her nipples as Eames worked on her with his mouth. He took his time with her, going excruciatingly slowly. He tongued her clit at irregular intervals, then slid his tongue inside her slit. Ariadne whimpered softly at the contact, lips trembling. He delved deep inside of her, tongue curling up inside and tracing the edge of her entrance. He released one hip to hook her knee behind his shoulder. Her other leg fell off of the couch to hit the floor, opening her even wider for him. Eames closed his lips over her clit and slid two fingers inside of her. She arched her back in response, making a soft noise of pleasure. Arthur made soft encouraging noises by her ear, and Ariadne let her eyes fall shut. She was lost in the sensation of the both of them around her, of Eames' fingers and tongue between her legs. She came with a soft cry, hips bucking toward Eames' mouth. He didn't stop, didn't let up in his assault on her senses. Lips still around her clit, Eames kept sliding his fingers inside of her in a steady rhythm. Ariadne felt as if her bones were melting. Her breath came in short pants, and she was twisting between them.

This continued long after Ariadne lost count of how many times she came beneath his mouth, her fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his head. She had to finally push him away, hissing "Too much too much too much!" when her clit felt so oversensitized that even his breath made her shake with need.

"Bedroom," Arthur intoned, nodding in that direction.

Eames picked Ariadne up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He laid her down gently, reverently, his mouth over hers. Ariadne would have thought tasting herself in his mouth would have been gross, but she whimpered softly and clung to his shoulders. Eames stripped quickly as Ariadne struggled to take off her skirt, which was bunched up around her waist. Arthur passed him a foil packet, and Ariande trembled as she watched him roll it on. His cock jutted proudly out as he knelt between her spread thighs, his large hands running down from her knees along the outer edge of her leg. "Ready?" he asked, eyes locked to hers. Wordlessly, she nodded. Eames grasped her hip with one hand and guided himself into her with his other. He pushed his length into her, making her groan in pleasure. He moved slowly, letting her get used to him inside of her, being so much more gentle than she would have thought him capable of.

Ariadne was so caught up with Eames that she didn't notice Arthur shedding his clothes and applying lube-slicked fingers to Eames' backside. She felt it when Eames shuddered slightly above her as Arthur worked him open. She definitely felt it when Arthur slammed his length into Eames, pushing him further inside her. Ariadne threw her head back and moaned, fingers tight on Eames' shoulders. He started to move hard and fast, buried to the hilt inside Ariadne as Arthur fucked him without mercy. Arthur grasped one of Ariadne's thighs, pulling her up slightly. It made for a deeper downstroke as Eames thrust into her, and she nearly howled in pleasure as she came, milking him hard. Eames grit his teeth and continued to move, the sheets caught between his fists. He didn't want this to end yet, didn't want this moment to be over too soon. She whimpered, writhing beneath him, back arched and eyes shut tight as she was overwhelmed by the feel of him inside of her.

Arthur sank his teeth into Eames' shoulder as he came, his hands tight on Eames' hip and Ariadne's thigh. Eames groaned and finally let himself come, careful not to collapse on top of Ariadne. She was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, tendrils of her hair sticking to her temples. Eames kissed her on the mouth, his own eyes closed as her arms closed around his shoulders and her fingers tangled in his hair. He knew she had eyes for Arthur, the smug bastard, but for a moment he could pretend she was his.

Afterward, Eames had pressed kisses into Ariadne's skin. "Thank you," he had murmured, believing this would be the only time. She had been startled, not realizing he saw the entire thing as a treasured gift. He felt like a thief, stealing another kiss from her lips before Arthur could say a word, before his possessive touch could fall onto Eames again.

"We could always do this again, if you like," Arthur said, leaning against Ariadne, his mouth by her ear. His eyes were on Eames' face the entire time.

Ariadne blushed so prettily. "Yeah. I think I would."

***

Ariadne slid her hands around Eames' bared shoulders, her tongue in his mouth and his cock buried deep inside of her. He rocked hard and deep, fingers tight on her rear to keep her in place. She broke the kiss, gasping for air as she felt Arthur slide into Eames. It altered his rhythm and made him plunge even deeper inside of her. Arthur locked eyes with Ariadne, sliding his hand along her arm as she clutched Eames for balance. She shifted her grip to grasp hold of Arthur as she threw her head back, crying out as she came. Eames ran his lips along her neck, licking the salt of her skin. She could taste it when she kissed him again, his tongue full and thick in her mouth.

She watched as Arthur pushed hard into Eames, making him shudder and screw his eyes shut as he came. It was a look of utter bliss on his face, as if this was a perfect moment he would crystallize and save if he could. He curled up next to her afterward, kissing her slowly as he stroked her face. Eames lay on the bed behind her, his large hands running along the curve of her torso. "I love you," she whispered against Arthur's lips.

Smiling so that his eyes crinkled, Arthur murmured "I love you, too."

Later, she would wonder if he was looking at her or at Eames, who had been kissing her shoulder with such reverence.

***  
***


	2. Everything You're Feeling Is Stuck Inside

Ariadne sighed as Eames tucked in her chair for dinner. She felt somewhat awkward about going on a dinner date with him like this, but he had been all smiles and eagerness, and Arthur was away doing research on the subject. "You know, this is..."

"A little odd, yeah?" Eames asked, a gentle smile on his face. She wondered why she had never really seen him smile like that before.

She laughed. Dinner was actually amiable, and they wound up poking fun at Cobb's nervous eye twitch and how much Yusuf's other chemist friends didn't compare to his skill. Finally, as they were waiting for dessert, Ariadne put down her fork. "Why are you sticking with me like this, Eames? Isn't there someone you'd rather be with?"

"What? You don't think you're worth my company?" he joked.

Her smile was wide and amused. "Oh, I know I am, Eames," Ariadne replied. "But do you really think this is going to be enough for you?"

"What do you mean, love?"

"Don't you want a real relationship?"

"We have a _real_ relationship, love," he pointed out. "We work together well. That friendship came first. Most things don't last half so long because they lack that."

Ariadne frowned. "I suppose you have a point."

"Of course I do, Ariadne," he said with a shrug, finishing up his entree.

"Don't you want more than this, though? Don't you want someone that loves you?"

She could have kicked herself with the way the thoughtless words came out, but his face remained impassive. "I know what I got myself into, Ariadne," he began slowly. "I know what I'm doing. I want this," he murmured, reaching across the table to take her hand gently in his. "This is what I want."

"Is it enough?" she asked quietly.

Eames gave a smile that was only partly tinged with sadness as he brought her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "It will have to be."

Maybe it was that sad line that did it, but Ariadne let him take her home. His mouth covered hers, large hands on either side of her face. His fingers found their way down her body, caressing her slight curves through the dress she was wearing. He picked her up, not breaking the kiss, and she wound her legs around his waist. He walked backward, tripping as he backed up into the couch. They fell apart, tumbling down with a laugh. Ariadne straddled his waist, cupping his face in her hands. "You make me feel tiny."

He smiled at her, brushing her hair aside. "You make me feel like I should be better than I am."

Before she could ponder that thought, he kissed her again, long and deep. His hands trailed down to her waist, and he started undoing the button on her slacks. She shifted position to help him, and ultimately nodded toward the bedroom. "That way."

He made her come twice with his mouth on her before he rolled on a condom. He thrust into her hard, making her cry out and cling to his forearms on either side of her head. "Oh god, yes," she moaned, arching into him. "Like that, there, oh god, there, there, please..."

Eames slowed when she came, tight all around him. "C'mon, love, let's try something else." He urged her pliant body into kneeling on all fours in front of him. He slid into her from behind, making her groan at the feel of him. He thrust into her hard, his hands on her hips. Ariadne had the sheets clutched in her hands, and she had to muffle her cries in her pillow. He felt so good, sliding so deep, grunting behind her and saying filthy things about how luscious she looked and how tight and hot she was. She came again, her fist in her mouth as she nearly screamed in pleasure. His thrusts were fast and erratic, and finally Eames came with a hoarse shout.

His touch was gentle afterward, his heartbeat lulling her to sleep. She felt safe with him, even if she didn't love him the same way she loved Arthur. Perhaps he had a point with all this.

***

Pressed against the wall, Ariadne held onto Arthur's shoulders as he lifted her hips so he could slide inside of her. Eames was watching, stroking himself through his pants, eyes focused on Ariadne's flushed face. She felt so dirty, knowing he was watching Arthur have sex with her, but it was hot as hell and made her feel as if she was the sexiest woman alive. Ariadne raked her nails down Arthur's back, hard enough that he could feel it through the shirt he was still wearing. He was in just an open button down shirt and his dress socks; Ariadne had all but pounced on him as soon as they got back from the airport. She crossed her ankles behind Arthur's waist and held on tight as he thrust up into her, making her gasp and moan at the feel of him inside of her.

He stopped when she came, making her mewl in protest. He merely smirked and picked her up off of the wall, carrying her back toward the bed. He laid her down gently on the edge of the bed so that he was still standing and she was sprawled. Arthur laughed a little when Ariadne made a whining noise as he slipped out of her, but another thrust into her made her gasp and wiggle around invitingly. "C'mon Eames. Why don't you join in and fuck me?"

Ariadne made a soft sound as she arched up beneath Arthur. His hips jerked as Eames pressed lubed fingers into him, and Arthur slid his hands along Ariadne's stomach. Working Arthur open for him, Eames ran his teeth along Arthur's shoulder, his eyes on Ariadne the entire time. She let out a long, lusty cry as she came again, sheets caught in her fists as she twisted and writhed. Without warning, he thrust hard into Arthur, pushing him deeper into Ariadne, making her howl in pleasure. Eames moved fast and hard, fingers pulling tight on Arthur's slim hips. He would leave bruises, he knew, but he didn't care. He pushed Arthur past the breaking point, making him shake with the force of his orgasm. Another wicked thrust and Eames came with a hoarse grunt.

Ariadne curled on top of Arthur afterward, fingers skimming across his chest. "I missed you," she murmured with a soft smile.

"I noticed," he said with a smile, carding his fingers through her hair. "It wasn't the same in Prague."

She propped herself up on her elbows over him, a silly grin on her face. She almost didn't feel Eames' eyes on her. "Yeah? How was it different?"

"Boring," Arthur murmured, reaching up to run his fingertips over her lower lip. "I kept thinking of all the things you should see. It would influence your designs, I think. In a good way. There are so many wonderful things in the world to see. There's more than just Paris, you know."

She grinned. "Yeah, well, I only have three more months until I finish the program. I can travel the world after that."

"We should go together. All three of us," Eames said, reaching out. He stopped just short of caressing her shoulder the way he wanted to, letting his hand fall to the bed beside them. He managed a smile when Ariadne looked at him. "It'll be fun."

Her smile was soft and sweet, and Eames could pretend she meant more by it than she did. "Yeah. That sounds great."

***

"I have to head out to Greece to tail the business manager," Arthur told Ariadne. "I should be gone for a few days, I think. It's a conference of some kind, so it should be easy enough to get some personal information about him, some video for Eames to analyze and forge from."

Ariadne turned as she was getting undressed for bed. "When's your flight?"

"Nine am."

She unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor, then shimmied out of her panties. "Then we might as well make the most of our time together, right?"

Ariadne moved across the bed to take him into her mouth, holding him steady with one hand and using the other to support her weight over him. Arthur sucked in a sharp breath and let his fingers skim across her chest before he stroked a nipple. She ran her tongue along his length, then came up slightly to slide her tongue along the slit. Gratified to hear a soft noise from deep in his throat, she shifted position slightly so he could reach for her more easily. Arthur reached across his chest to play with one breast as his other hand slid down her belly to tangle between her thighs. Ariadne ran her tongue and lips across his length as he stroked her clit, then pressed her face down against his belly as she came. Panting, she could hear Arthur's chuckle. "Your turn," she said with a grin, even though a moment later she sucked in a ragged breath. He hadn't paused in his strokes, and she was close to coming again.

She straddled him and sank down over his length after he coaxed another orgasm out of her. She rode him hard, only dimly aware of the things she was saying. She half leaned back, grasping the backs of his thighs to steady herself as she rocked against him. Arthur's hands slid across her stomach or roamed up to palm her breasts. Ariadne came a few times before he finally did, especially when he decided to stroke her clit as she ground down over him. She curled up over him as she struggled to catch her breath. "You don't play fair," she said with a grin, her breath still coming in pants.

"Women get multiple orgasms," Arthur said with a shaky laugh, running his fingers along her back. "How is that fair?"

"That just means I have more work to do in getting you hard again," Ariadne said with a cheeky laugh, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw.

"Well, we don't have to sleep just yet..."

Delighted, Ariadne set about to doing just that.

***

"Everyone else thinks you're coming back tomorrow," Eames told Arthur as he shut the hotel room door behind him.

Arthur looked up impassively as he poured two fingers of scotch for each of them. "And?"

"Is this fair to Ariadne?"

His eyes were carefully blank as he contemplated Eames. "Are you complaining about the arrangement?"

Flustered, Eames looked away first. "No."

"Then why don't you come over here and prove it to me?"

It was a hard kiss, clashing teeth and lips and tongue, but Arthur slid his hand along the back of Eames' neck, his fingers sliding along the scalp. His other hand pulled at Eames' shirt, untucking it. They shed clothes and stumbled, finally tumbling down to the floor. Arthur pushed Eames onto his hands and knees, sliding spit-slicked fingers into him. "You want this, don't you? All of it?" he asked, voice harsh and needy. "It's not just for Ariadne."

Eames clenched his hands into fists and growled when Arthur pushed another finger inside of him before he was ready for it. "Fucker. This was your idea."

"You don't complain. We all get what we want, don't we?"

"You're a cold bastard," Eames groaned, arching and pushing back into Arthur.

Arthur pressed his mouth to the small of Eames' back in a hot, open kiss. He ran his tongue along the skin, working Eames open more fully. "Not cold," he corrected. "But a bastard. I'll admit that point."

Eames didn't protest when Arthur pushed into him, just this side of painful, and muffled his cries with his hands. This part of the relationship had never changed. The sex had always been fun, always been pleasurable. Arthur was the one that had wanted more.

He always got what he wanted.

"You don't even love her," Eames said with a sigh when they were finished, rolling over onto his back. He stared at Arthur, who couldn't even look him in the eye. "How can you do this to her, Arthur? She deserves better than that."

Arthur looked back at him, jaw set in anger. "Don't you think I know that? Do you really think I don't care about her at all?" He grabbed Eames' jaw in his hand, squeezing hard. "You always call me a cold, unfeeling bastard. Do you really think I am? Huh? You wouldn't stay with me if you really thought I was."

Eames looked away first. "Do you love her?" he asked quietly, his voice pained. He knew she didn't love him, but he could make himself walk away if she was at least being treated right.

"More than I thought I could," Arthur replied, just as quietly. His hand fell to rest against Eames' chest. "I don't want to hurt her, Eames. I promise you that."

It wasn't the same thing, but Eames would have to live with it.

***

"Is it pervy if I want to watch the two of you together?" Ariadne asked, a blush staining her cheeks.

Arthur's heart seemed to trip inside his chest. "No. I don't think so."

Eames turned his face away from Arthur and looked at Ariadne. "Is that what you want, Ariadne?" She nodded, embarrassed. He reached out and stroked her face gently. "Then it's okay. We'll do it."

He lay on his back as Arthur slicked his fingers with lube and knelt on the bed between his spread thighs. His eyes were on Ariadne, kneeling on the bed beside them. It was a tight fit, the three of them on her queen sized bed, so Eames had every excuse to run his hands along her bare thighs. He grasped her knee tightly as he hissed, Arthur's fingers curling inside him. Ariadne's breathing was quick and shallow, her lips parted as she watched them. She blinked in surprise when Arthur just pushed himself into Eames, when Eames' hand tightened on her thigh as he gasped in pleasure. Arthur moved with deep, long strokes, hard enough to make the bed shake with every thrust. Eames groaned, shifting his hips slightly so Arthur could slide even deeper into him.

On impulse, Ariadne knelt forward and took Eames into her mouth. He gave a hoarse cry, and moved his hand to caress her shoulder. Eames looked up at Arthur, who had a pleased grin on his face. "God," Eames groaned, not sure how to shift his hips. Between the two of them, it was short work to make him come. Ariadne swallowed him down, her fingertips light and comforting on his stomach.

She gave Arthur an almost shy smile. "Welcome home."

His grin was large and wide, eyes crinkling in the corners. Ariadne loved that kind of smile on his face. "It's good to be home."

***

"What the hell are you doing?"

Ariadne looked up in surprise as she was putting together the model of the second layer maze. "I'm putting the maze together, Cobb. What does it look like I'm doing?"

Cobb came in and shut the door to her office, the sound louder than it normally seemed to be. He didn't quite slam it, but he looked _angry._ "I'm talking about fucking with Arthur and Eames."

Blanching, Ariadne stood. "You have two seconds to explain what you're talking about before I throw you out." Her voice was stronger than she felt; she already saw her hands begin to shake a little.

"I _mean,_ I catch you fucking Arthur on the desk. Eames keeps staring at you and can't get his shit together and I saw the two of you at dinner together the other night. I heard you make plans with Arthur tonight. What the fuck? Are you _trying_ to destroy my team?!"

Ariadne walked over to the door of her office and whipped the door open, all the nervous tension in her bleeding out into the movement. She saw Arthur jump at his laptop, and heard the distinct crash of glassware from Yusuf's workstation. She would have to go an apologize later. At the moment, she was fuming. "If you want to see me work on this level, you will get the hell out of my sight. That's a low blow, even for you. I do my job and they do theirs. My off hours are none of your fucking business, because unlike _your_ issues, this isn't going to get anyone killed on a job."

Cobb sucked in a pained breath as she pointed out of the door. "Ariadne..."

"Don't even," she snapped, feeling her knees knock together a little. "Get out of my sight or I won't finish this level. Got it?"

She slammed the door after he left and leaned against it, breathing heavily. She had no idea what she was doing, but she had never thought about where their relationship was going.

What _was_ she doing?

***

"That was not a happy scene earlier today," Yusuf commented when Ariadne came into his workspace to apologize. All the broken glassware had been disposed of, and whatever experiment he had been running was now started over from scratch.

Ariadne winced. "Not exactly a moment I'll cherish forever, no."

Yusuf laughed. "Interesting way to put it. Come on in. I'll hide you from Cobb's wrath."

She laughed along with him and perched on the edge of a lab bench. "How obvious am I being with this whole relationship thing in the workplace?" she asked after a moment. She liked Yusuf a lot, and he has always been honest with her.

"Well, you're happier, I think." He carefully titrated a few drops from his pipette and made a notation in his notebook before looking at her. "But if you mean do we all know the three of you are involved? Yes, it's obvious."

Sighing, Ariadne covered her face in her hands. "What am I doing? It's... weird, isn't it? Liking how that goes?" She gave him an almost desperate look. "I mean, I love _Arthur._ Why would I agree to do all this?"

"Because you love Arthur, he loves Eames and Eames loves you," Yusuf replied with a shrug. "It's not hard to see."

Ariadne blinked at Yusuf. "What was that?"

"What? Why the three of you work so well?" Yusuf asked, confused. This was why he normally stayed out of relationship discussions.

"Arthur loves Eames?" she asked, managing not to sound strained.

"Well, they had this thing off and on for a few years. I thought you knew that?"

"I... uh... I didn't want to get involved in anything," she said lamely, looking at him as she shrugged helplessly. "You know, not to ruin the work relationship." Her lunch felt heavy and leaden in her stomach now. She felt _stupid._

"I'd say you were very involved with something," Yusuf said with a laugh. "Hey. I'm the last fellow to ever say something is strange if it works. I mean, look at what we do for a living. We enter people's minds and go looking around for secrets. It's hardly ordinary. Why should you have an ordinary kind of relationship?"

"Arthur isn't ordinary."

"Neither is Eames." Yusuf kept one eye on his apparatus and the other on Ariadne. "I've known him a long time. He's a good sort, you know. At least, he can be for people close to him, even if he sometimes gets into tricky spots. He'd done me a few good favors once or twice over the years, and I've bailed him out of jail a few times. This isn't an easy profession, but I couldn't imagine being happy doing anything else."

"You mean that?"

"Well, sure. Filing for research grants to alter the somnacin under the eye of the International Council is awfully dull work. No thank you. I want to do the research, and I can do things better like this. Faster results, more direct application. Otherwise, it's a decade under development sometimes, layered over with patents and I never find out if my tinkering is worth a damn or not."

Ariadne smiled. Yusuf loved his work the way she loved architecture. "I meant, did you mean it about Eames?

"What? Being trustworthy? He is with me. He is with the rest of the team. I'm sure he'd never try to harm you, if that's what you're asking."

"I don't know what I'm asking," Ariadne admitted with a sigh. "This whole thing just happened before I knew it, you know?"

"Life has a way of doing that," Yusuf agreed with a laugh.

"Well, thanks for listening. I'll get you coffee tomorrow as a thank you."

"Mmm. You know me so well."

Laughing, Ariadne went back to her own workspace. Arthur was out at the time, and she didn't see Eames in the warehouse. She hadn't known that Arthur had been in love with Eames and likely still was. Were they together right at that moment? Was that what Cobb was so worried about?

She was meeting Arthur for dinner that night. She could discuss it then. There was no point worrying if there was no reason to.

***

"You love him, don't you?" Ariadne asked in a quiet tone of voice. Her heart sank when Arthur's expression froze.

"Who are we talking about?"

"Please don't pretend I'm stupid."

"Ariadne..."

"It's just a question."

Arthur frowned at her. She sat there calmly, as if everything was all right. He knew her well enough by now to know she wasn't as unaffected as she looked. She was tough, and she was willing to put herself out there to get the job done. This also meant she picked up on things quickly and could be easily hurt. "What's happened?"

"Why did something have to happen?"

"I mean... What prompted this? Are you worried about something? Did I do something?" Arthur looked at her in concern. "Did I forget an anniversary I didn't know I should remember?"

Ariadne lofted an eyebrow. "Considering you're supposed to know details for a living, I really hope not."

Arthur cracked a small smile at that. "So what is it? I mean, this feels like it's coming out of the blue."

"It's not, though. Is it? Asking Eames to join us... That wasn't a spur of the moment thing. You thought about that for a while. It wasn't as spontaneous as I thought it was, was it?"

"Well, I wouldn't ask just anyone," Arthur replied slowly. "I care a lot about you, and it would be weird enough if it was someone we couldn't trust."

"You love him, don't you?" she asked quietly. There was no condemnation in her tone, only a resignation.

He let his hands fall into his lap. "It doesn't mean I love you any less," he responded.

"I see," Ariadne murmured. She looked down at her hands for a moment, then back up at him. He seemed frozen, waiting to see what she would say. He could plan for any number of things, but she had always been something of a wild card. She never seemed to react the way people thought she would.

"Ariadne?"

 _"Do_ you love me?" she asked, her voice fracturing slightly. It was the only sign that she might be losing control.

He reached out to grasp her hand across the table, but she flinched back from him. "Ariadne... How can you question that?"

"Why can't you answer me?"

"I love you." His voice was firm, not meant to be questioned. "How can you question that? Have I ever made you feel differently?"

"Maybe a better question is, are you in love with me?" she asked, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Or was this all just a game to you?"

"This has never been a game." Not really, anyway, and certainly not in the way she seemed to think.

"I just wasn't the one you wanted."

"Ariadne..."

"I wasn't, was I? I was just convenient."

"No, that's not it at all."

"Then what?"

Arthur reached for her hand and grasped it tightly. It felt cold in his, and she couldn't quite meet his eyes. "Look at me, Ariadne. Please." There was a faint desperate edge to his voice, making her look up. "I do love you, Ariadne. I would never want to hurt you."

"Would you still be interested in me if Eames wasn't?" she asked, voice thick with pain.

Arthur opened his mouth, then shut it after a moment. "Look, I..."

Ariadne yanked her hand out from beneath his. "I don't know which is worse, that you can't lie to me or that I don't even deserve one."

"It's not that!" Arthur cried. "This isn't fair."

"Is this fair to _me?_ I thought you wanted _me."_ She wiped at her eyes angrily, smearing her mascara. "I thought I was special somehow."

"You are," he insisted.

"Only to keep Eames, isn't that right?"

"It might've started out that way, but it isn't like that now," Arthur insisted, trying to grasp her hand when she stood up abruptly. "Please don't do this. Don't leave."

Her stricken expression was answer enough. "Why should I stay?"

"Ariadne, _please."_

"Why? So you can pretend I'm someone else?"

"It's not like that," he insisted, standing. He ignored the eyes on them in the restaurant, keeping his focus on Ariadne. "I care about you, Ariadne. I love you."

"You were supposed to love me first," Ariadne said, shaking her head. She blinked back tears and pulled out of his grasp. She grabbed her purse and coat and fled, not looking back. Arthur was standing there, staring after her as if he couldn't figure out what went wrong. He didn't even chase after her, didn't do much more than stare incredulously. Part of her felt like such an idiot, like she should have seen this coming. It had happened to easily, and nothing in her life had ever come easily. There was always something out there ready to fuck things up.

She wished she could blame someone for this, but she felt too drained. It didn't even matter whose fault it was. It was over.

***

"Did Arthur put you up to it?"

Eames stared at Ariadne blearily. She had come up to his flat, banging on his door and looked like a mess. He had fallen asleep on his couch reading, and the banging had woken him up. "I don't follow, love. I just woke up."

She poked at his chest with one slim finger, startling him. "You and me and him. Whose idea was it for the three of us together?"

"Well, it was Arthur's idea."

"Why?" she asked sharply.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time, I suppose. I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" he asked, flustered. Arthur had all but threatened to end things if he ever breathed a word of the arrangement between them.

"Why were you doing it?" Ariadne insisted, poking at his chest again. She felt edgy and hysterical, as if she was going to snap in two. She didn't even know why she felt this way, why she had to torture herself with this. The job was happening in a week, and this was completely the wrong time to do this.

"Ariadne, I don't know what you want me to say. Why are you so upset?"

"Arthur lied to me. He doesn't love me. He loves _you."_

Eames blinked and tried to think of something to say. For once however, he was at a loss for words. "Oh."

"You knew," Ariadne said accusingly, looking at him as if betrayed. "Did you know he was just using me to get to you?"

"I think you need to talk things over with Arthur. The two of you were together first..."

"But he was with you first. He was with you for a long time. Right?"

"Look. You and him have a relationship going. I didn't have that." He grasped her shoulders firmly but gently. "Whatever is going on, I have no idea what that's about, all right? All I know is that things seemed to be working well, and I have no idea what you're on about."

"Are you in love with me?" she asked baldly.

Eames sighed. "Yes."

"And Arthur?"

"It's a good time with him, all right? We've fucked, but it didn't mean anything to me."

"This is a mess," Ariadne muttered, shaking her head as she backed up a step. "I can't even..."

"Ariadne," Eames said quietly, catching her hand in his. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She looked up at him in shock. If anything, it only seemed to underscore the last conversation she'd had with Arthur. He had been all desperate for her to stay with him, but couldn't say why she should. Eames would do anything for her, and all she had to do was ask.

But he wasn't the one she wanted, and it wouldn't be fair to him to ask anything.

Tears in her eyes, Ariadne shook her head. "No, there isn't."

"I'm sorry," Eames said, arms falling to his sides as she backed up towards his apartment door. "I wish things were different."

"Me, too."

***

The model of the two completed layers lay on the table. Ariadne walked everyone through the models with a brisk efficiency that seemed to keep Cobb calm and satisfied. Yusuf could tell something was off, and he frowned at her. She ignored it and kept going; he noticed after a moment that she was managing to avoid eye contact with both Arthur and Eames. Something very bad must have happened the night before, and Yusuf nearly sighed out loud. This was why he stayed out of relationship conversations.

After the explanations, Ariadne began to pack up her office equipment. Yusuf could tell the exact moment Cobb realized what she was doing, because he suddenly was shouting at her that she couldn't leave yet. The job was taking place in five days, and there might need to be changes to the layout if the subject's movements changed. She merely stared at him through his tirade, then calmly packed up her laptop as if he had never spoken. "Ariadne! Did you hear a word I said?!"

"You were an architect once," she told him blandly. "There shouldn't have to be any revisions made in the next few days. If you absolutely have to, _you_ can do it. I have two months left before my thesis is due, and I need to focus on that."

He really didn't have much to say about that, though he sputtered a bit. Yusuf almost felt sorry for him, and gave Ariadne a break by calling him over to take a look at his latest distillation results.

Ariadne's belongings fit into one cardboard box and one shoulder bag. It was almost sad, but a lot of her sketches were being left behind for the team to peruse and use if they needed to. Even though she was angry about something, she wasn't about to leave them in the lurch.

She approached Arthur and Eames while Yusuf was distracting Cobb with his recent research. "I can't talk to either of you right now," she said, voice tight with hurt. "I don't care what started this, what you think you need to say to keep me around. Don't call me. Don't come to my apartment. Don't talk to me, don't look at me. If you see me on the street, just pass me by and pretend you don't see me." Arthur's face was impassive, but Eames' eyes were pained. It was enough to give her pause. "Maybe I can forgive you for this eventually, but right now, I don't want to see either of you."

"If this is what you want," Eames murmured. He pushed himself away from the desk he was sitting at and left the warehouse.

Ariadne almost felt as though she was kicking a hurt puppy at the sight of him, but she couldn't figure out what she wanted right now. Everything was a tangle, and all she could do the night before was cry herself to sleep, wake in the middle of the night feeling as though something was wrong, only to start crying all over again. Right now, she just wanted that pain to end.

"I'm sorry, Ariadne," Arthur said softly. "I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did," she replied, looking at him. It felt like looking at a stranger. "You didn't care about what I wanted, just what you wanted. I can't forgive you for that."

He didn't stop her from leaving the warehouse. She almost wished he did. Maybe at least then she could have told herself he cared.

She had two months until her thesis was due and she finished the program. Without them complicating things, she could probably get it done in time. She had to focus on that. She had to keep that in mind as her priority. That would be the only thing to keep the gaping hole in her chest from consuming her. The prospect of completing her degree used to be the dream that excited her.

Now, she could only hope that someday she would wake up.

The End


End file.
